The fourth living creature
by KE-Mittens
Summary: Will Devils finest and the little green monster make Castle and Becketts relationship stronger or will it crush it into so many peaces that even they will find it impossible to save?  BTW this is not a supernatural fic, 'Devils finest' is a serial killer
1. Chapter 1

I watched as the Lamb opened the first of seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice of thunder,"Come and see!" I looked, and there was a white horse! It's rider held a bow, and was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come and see!" Then another horse came out, a fiery red 's rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.

When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see!" I looked , and there before me was a black horse! It's rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"

When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come and see!" I looked and there before me was a pale horse! It's rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

x.x.x.

The fourth living creature stared back at him, causing pain whitout even knowing it, its harsh words stinging, more then the ones said before, when it proclamed that Death itself was coming. Maybe Death was coming, coming for his broken soul as tears slided down his bloody cheeks, yes, Death was coming but not for him, no, it was coming for something more valiable then his mortal life.

But as we all know, the fourth rider wasn't the first the Lamb set free, his pain begun the moment he ducked under the yellow tape that marked Deaths visit and the beggining of the end, his end.

,,'Morning, Detective!" said the cheerful writer handing the fresh pastries to the, deep in thought, detective.

,,Hey,what got you in such a cheerful mood so early?" asked Beckett,

,,Seeing you, of coarse." he said, but his sincerity going unnoticed by the detective,

,,Cute," she snorted taking her breakfest and coffeine dose from her partner ,,Anyway,there's something about this case the boys said I wouldn't like,and still don't get why they wouldn't tell me over the phon-" the words died in her throath when she saw the big black truck and people wearing wests whit yellow letters spelling 'FBI' , her expression changed from suprised to annoyed in a second.

She walked over to Ryan and Esposito who were talking to an agent.

''What do we got here boys?" she asked eyeing the broad sholdered agent in front of her, while it urked her that the comissioner didn't think the NYPD could solve this on their own, the smileing green eyed agent wasn't bad eye candy.

,,Tweny-six year old female, hanged on a tree and shot whit arows, no ligature marks nor any other signs of a struggle, Lanie said she was probably knocked unconsios and then shot." Esposito said and turned to Ryan who went trough his notebook and said ,,Her name is Natasha Burk, lives down the street at an apartment building, she's a student, has a part time job at a dinner in Main street, found her ID on her, the killer didn't take it."

She turned her eyes back to the agent who was apperently watching her the whole time, he snapped out of his daze and offered his hand to her,

,,Hi, I'm agent Jo Ruther, and you're Det. Beckett, right?" he said putting on a charming smile, she shook his hand, she sensed Castle steping closer to her and half turned to introduce him when he beat her to it.

,,Rick Castle, Kate's partner." he said shaking the other man's hand, but to her, and obviosly to the agent, it sounded more like a threat or a bearly hearable 'Back of' but still she couldn't wrap her mind on why that was.

,,Okay, if you want to, you can go see the body before it's removed and sent down to the morg." agent Ruther said

,,Castle and I will sweep the crime scene and meet you guys at the 12th." Beckett said heading thourth the crime scene,

,,Uh, det. Beckett actually you'll be meeting us at the FBI headquorter down '13th' street." the agent said.

,,What?" she turned on her heel to glare at the slightly awkvard agent.

,,As the best team the NYPD has, you were requested on this case, but as we all know this is a high profile case and it requires the latest technology and many other field officers the NYPD can't afford." the agent stated,

,,Oh, okay." she said and started walking again whit Castle close behind, he could see how tence and agittated this whole situation has got her by the way she held her shoulders and gripped her now cold coffe, his thoghts were inturupted when he crashed into her back when she stopped.

,,Castle how many times have I told you 'Watch where you're going!' ?"

,,To many to count?" he said whit a sheepish little smile on his face that said 'You can't be mad at me for too long, cause I'm cute and we both know it'.

When she just turned whitout having even a hint of a smile he felt like he was just slapped right across his face, but the kicked puppy look slided of his face as he saw the reason Beckett stopped so suddenly.

A young woman whit light brown hair hanged by the hands on a grim old winter tree, stared whit glassy dead eyes into nowhere in particular, and six or seven arows sticked out of her limp bloody body, as she slightly swayed whit the cold wind.

,,Damnation of St. Sebastian." Beckett whispered, her eyes still cought by the horrible sight in front of them.

,,What?" Castle asked sending her a questioning look,

,,What what?" she said as if coming out of some kind of trance

,,You just said something-" he started but she just walked past him to Lanie,

,,Hey girl." Lanie greeted

,,So do we have TOD?" Beckett asked ignoring Castles gaze on her,

,,Well, all the blood is already drained, the ground absorbed mostly everything, and by the state of decomposition I'd say she was here a few hours, 'bout one and two this morning."

,,This has to be some ocult killing," Castle said ,,who else would go through this much trouble just to make it seem like some biblical death?" he said turning to Beckett, but her gaze was on the hanging body.

She saw a little stray line of blood, nowhere near the arow wounds ,,Lanie, what is this?" she said lifting the victims shirt to reaveal a large cut in the side of her hip ,,Theres something in this cut," she pulled out a small wooden chip.

Castle and Lanie leaned over her sholder while she tried to read the small letters on the chip,

,, 'Those who give me their body, give me their soul, and those who give away their soul, have no use of a body' " Beckett read from it,

,,What's that on the other side?" Castle asked, she turned it and read ,,It says 'Conquest',"

,,Wow, I'm guesing that's one of the reasons the FBI wanted this case so badly." Castle said,

,,Okay, Lanie I'm gonna take this to agent Ruther and see if we can pull some prints from it, and I'll probably meet you after work for a consoult." Lanie nodded, they turned and started walking back to the crown vic when Castle stopped her,

,,What do you need a consoult about? The case?"

,,Personal, Castle." she said not even looking at him,

,,Yeah, I figured that by the secrecy in your voice, so that's why I wanna know! Maybe I can help or something?"

,,Castle are you a girl?"

,,If I say yes, would you tell me?"

,,Wow, I'm amazed that someone so egotistical as you would give away his pride just like that, why do you wanna know so bad, anyway?"

,,I'm curious."

,,Yeah well, you know what they say: Curousity killed the cat."

,,-But sadisfaction brought her back!" he said in a childishly sing-songy voice,

,,Cats have nine lives, I've got way more bullets."

,,I can get more cats, that way five cats multiply by nine lives each is...uh, way more then you have bullets!"

,,God, it's like I'm having a coversation whit a five year old!" she said entering her patrol car,

,,Face it Beckett, you can't win this argument."

,,Okay I admit it, you won, Castle." she said shruging.

,,So that means you're gonna tell me?"

,,Nope."

,,Ugh! You're the only person that can make me feel like I've lost even when I win!" he said pouting.


	2. Chapter 2

,,Wow." Becketts eyes widened as she looked around the agents office, she saw a lot of character and talent in the way it was decorated but she saw no personal life, no family and most of his friends were probably from work she thought as she sat in the comfortable black looked back at Ruther, he was searching for a file in the huge pile of papers on his table, and she had a chanse to examine his expression, he didn't look unhappy nor affected by the grizly murder and that amazed her even more because he claimed he didn't have much cases like this.

,,No boyfriend, mother passed away three years ago, father lives in Montana, we'll try contacting him later. Now we interview her friends and roommate, that sound good to you?" he asked

,,Huh? Oh, yeah sure," she said standing up ,,I'll just go find Cas-" she was intrerupted by a very loud crash and then lights started flickering,

,,What the..." Ruther said walking out of his office into the hallway whit Beckett right behind him when they saw Castle sneaking out of one of the rooms for equipment,

,,Castle! What did you do?" she asked marching towards him while he kept walking backwards whit his hands raised up in defence,

,,I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't know the FBI would be so cliche to really have a self-destruction button on those things!"

,,Uuh, the damage isn't so bad, I'll just call someone to clean this up." Ruther said after taking a look in the almost blown up room,

,,Sorry, I'll keep him in sight next time." she said walking beside Ruther,

,,Don't worry about it, I've worked whit kids and animals, I think I can handle a writer."

,,Yeah that's what I tought first to," she saw Castle glaring at her ,,but he's also the best non-detective detective I know of." she finished whit a small smile sent his way.

,,You forgot to say best writer too." he said whit a smirk,

,,Let's not get ahead of ourselfs."

,,Ouch!" he said in mock pain as they walked out of the FBI building and into the parking lot.

,,Detective? You don't mind if we take my car?" Ruther asked,

,,No, not at all." she awnsered as they settled in the big black bulletproof jeep, which by the way, shocked Castle.

They headed to the place their victim was last seen to meet up whit Ryan and Esposito.

x.x.x.

,,So, last time she was seen was yesterday afternoon at a friends party, her friend whit whom she came said that she left whit some guy at 11 o'clock, two hours into the party." Ryan said,

,,And guess what, noone knows the guy and non of the street cameras showed his face, this guy knew what he was doing."

,,Maybe he's a professional," Castle said and all eyes turned to him ,, Satans most trusted soul gatherer, sent out in the middle world 'cause of the lack in sinful souls."

After a few seconds of 'Are you kidding me?' looks Ryan spoke,

,,Since when do you write that supernatural stuff?"

,,Seriously bro, stick whit the 'middle world' theories." Esposito said,

,,Castle's right," Beckett said all of the sudden,

,,I am?"

,,About Satans helper?" Ruther asked scepticaly,

,,No, I mean about the part where our killer wants more 'sinful' souls," the guys still had questioning looks so she explained ,,I can bet my month salary that we got a serial killer on our hands."

,,So that means the thing whit 'conquest' can help us find the killer himself-" Castle continued,

,,All we got to do now is find out where it fits in, probably in the bible or something-" Beckett said, but Ruther cut in,

,,The four horsmen!" he said ,,You know, war, famine, death and conquest in the book of revelations."

,,You're right, the killer presented himself as conquest, the first of the four horsmen-" Beckett said,

,,And that means he will kill the next victim in the name of war, the second horsman,-" Ruther said,

,,But that still doesn't give us a person or an location, unless we find a reason why would the killer wanted Natasha for an example of his conquest." she said,

,,Maybe he thought she was an easy catch, maybe even too easy for his taste, so by the note he meant that she was sinful because she gave her body to a man she just met." Ruther continued their theory building,

Castle didin't know why (okay he did, but that's not the point) but he didn't like the way the agent and his detective were building theory together, it reminded him too much of the way himself and Beckett solved murders. While he was deep in thought he didn't notice when the team moved towards their vehicles,

,,Whit my powerful wizard powers-" Ryan started, waveing his hands in front of Castle when Esposito cut in,

,,You mean leprechaun powers."

,,Oh, ha-ha, very funny, but no matter. As I was saying, I shall bring your spirit back from the neverland it went to so you could stop the evil that ravaged our world!" Ryan finished speech, but Castles only reaction was a ,,Huh?"

,,In other words, are you going whit us or are you too busy trying to get pigeons to sit on your shoulders?" Esposito said,

,,Oh don't worry, I'm coming, besides, I didn't bring any bird seed." Castle snarked at them while walking by,

,,Okay, somebody's in a bad mood." Ryan said looking dissapointed that Castle didn't play along whit his wizard refrence,

,,Who can blame him, it's not like he gets replaced by handsome blonde FBI agents that often." Esposito said loud enough for the writer to hear,

,,I'm not being replaced!" he growled at them while walking to the agents car,

,,Hey Castle?" Beckett called before sitting in the car ,,You might wanna go whit the boys this time, Ruther and I will be poking through some documents down at the file storage room, for which we need patience and time, what Ryan and Esposito will be doing is far more interesting." she said,

,,You okay whit that Castle?" she asked upon seeing his blank expression,

,,Yeah, I'm fine whit it, why wouldn't I be fine whit avoiding sitting around and reading some stupid paperwork, doing nothing else?" he said making that last part sound like a question,

,,Okay." she said, closed the car door and took off whit the agent, leaving him just watching the car ride out in the busy New York street,

,,You coming?" Espositos voice dodn't seem joking or playfull anymore, it sounded more like he was pitying him and he didn't like it, he was doing it enough on his own.

No matter how interesting this case was, he couldn't wait for it to be over and for things to go back to normal, 'cause this, not in the slightest way, was helping his situation whit Beckett. He promised himself ( and her ) that he wasn't going to rush them into anything, but he doesn't know for how long he can stand around and act like he was not affected by this whole situation whit agent Ruther, who was obviously attracted to her.

There's only so much a man can take...


End file.
